Prospective MFA Students

I gained valuable teaching experience, served as managing editor of Ecotone, and relished my time with mentors who encouraged and challenged me. Simply put, it changed my life. —Jay Varner, MFA nonfiction '07, author of Nothing Left to Burn

Overview

The MFA at UNCW is a 48-hour apprenticeship, requiring a total of 21 hours of writing workshops, 21 hours of literature or other elective courses, and 6 thesis hours, leading to completion and defense of a substantial book-length manuscript of literary merit and publishable quality. While students apply in and focus primarily on one genre, cross-genre study is encouraged. More >

FAQs

Thank you for your interest in our program! We hope that the following responses to frequently asked questions and quick links to hot topics will prove useful. More >

Apply

Your application to the MFA program in Creative Writing at UNC Wilmington will be submitted online to UNCW’s Graduate School. Along with your online application, you are required to upload an electronic copy of your manuscript (the writing sample), your personal essay (also called a statement of interest, purpose, or intent), and provide email addresses for three recommenders. In addition to the application materials submitted online (manuscript, essay, and recommenders' email addresses), you will need to mail to the Graduate School your transcripts. More >